Means for retaining a lock cylinder in a panel



Aug. 9, 1960 c. A. VAHLSTROM 2,948,141

MEANS FOR RETAINING A LOCK CYLINDER IN A PANEL Filed May 51, 1957 If isINVENTOR.

0m; /7. VHHLSTROM.

HTTOFNE X United States Patent 015 Patented Aug. 9, 1960 RETAINING ALOCK CYLINDER IN A PANEL Filed May '31, 1957, Ser. No. 662,849

6 Claims. (Cl. 70-370) MEANS FOR This invention relates to locks andmore particularly to means for retaining a lock cylinder in assembledposition on a panel such as a drawer front, cabinet door or other likemember.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved means forquickly mounting a lock cylinder and securely retaining it in mountedposition.

A further object is the provision of an improved retaining clip for suchlocks.

A.still further object of this invention is the provision of improvedmeans for securing the retaining clip to a lock cylinder in such amanner that it will not become accidentally detached therefrom.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be moreclearly understood from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a lock cylinder and a retaining clipconstructed in accordance with this invention and showing same inassembled position.

Fig. 2 is an end view with portions in section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the lock shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the retaining clip shown in section online 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the numeral 5 denotes alock cylinder body of conventional form having a head 6 which providesan annular flange 7 around said cylinder, and the numeral, 8 denotes alock bolt which is slidable in said cylinder and is operated by a keyplug, not shown, that is rotatably mounted therein.

The said lock cylinder is adapted to be installed in a panel member 9which may be a drawer front, a cabinet door or other like member. It ispreferably provided with flats 10-10 at its opposite sides and extendsthrough a hole 11 in the member 9 which is of corresponding shapewhereby rotation of the said cylinder is prevented.

In accordance with the present invention, opposed slots 12-12 are formedin the periphery of the cylinder 5 adjacent the flange 7, said slotsbeing angularly disposed ninety degrees from the flats 10-10. Thebottoms ofthe said slots are formed with radially extending projections13-13 for a purpose hereinafter described.

In order to retain the said lock cylinder in position, my inventionfurther provides a retaining clip 14 which is preferably stamped fromsheet metal and heat-treated to render it resilient. The clip includesspaced leg portions 15-15, extending from a connecting portion 16, and agrip portion 17 that extends perpendicularly from and stitfens theconnecting portion 16. The said leg portions 15-15 are preferablycurved, as shown in Fig. 1, to provide raised central portions 18-18 andfoot portions 19-19 which lie substantially in the plane of theconnecting portion 16. The inner edges of the said leg portions 15-15are provided with notches 20-20 which receive the projections 13-13 andthereby secure the retaining clip to the lock cylinder.

A positioning finger 21 extends from the connecting portion 16 to engagethe lock cylinder and thereby locate the clip in proper position withrelation to the lock cylinder and also prevent forcing of the clipbeyond the position in which the projections 13-13 are in register withthe notches 20-20.

The said retaining clip is so made that when it is forced into theposition shown in Fig. 1, it is deformed and there fore applies a springforce against the inner sides of the slots 12-12 which biases the lockcylinder inwardly in the member 9 and forces the flange 7 against theouter surface of said member. The lock cylinder is thus securelyretained in assembled position relatively to the said member 9.

If the lock cylinder were permitted to move outwardly relatively to themember 9, such as would occur if the drawer or door upon which it iscarried was forcibly closed with the bolt 8 in locking position, thelegs of the retaining clip might possibly be permmently bent andlooseness of the lock cylinder would result. In order to prevent suchoutward movement of the lock cylinder, the leg portions 15-15 areprovided with flanges 22-22 that are bent perpendicularly therefrom andterminate adjacent the inner surface of the member 9 so as toproinvention, the cylinder 5 is first inserted through the hole ll untilthe flange 7 is brought into contact with the outer surface of themember 9. The leg portions 15-15 of the retaining clip are then insertedinto the slots 12-12 and the said clip is pushed over the cylinder untilthe finger 21 strikes said cylinder, at which time the projections 13are in register with the notches 20-20 and the leg portions will springinwardly into engagement with the said projections.

It will be noted that the inner edges of the lower portions of the legmembers are tapered outwardly and downwardly so that they will slideover the projections 13 and cause the said leg members to spread as theclip is being pushed into position.

I claim:

l. A look structure including in combination a lock cylinder having abody portion insertahle through an opening in a panel member and aflange on said body portion engageable with the outer surface of saidpanel member for locating the lock cylinder thereon, the said bodyportion having slots in its opposite sides with inner edges facing saidflange and spaced therefrom a distance greater than the thickness ofsaid panel member, a resilient retaining clip for securing said lockcylinder to said panel member, said clip having spaced legs insertablethrough said slots and engageable with the inner surface of said panelmember at opposite sides of said lock cylinder, the intermediateportions of said legs being bowed inwardly and adapted to press againstthe said inner edges of the slots whereby force is exerted inwardly onsaid lock cylinder to retain it in proper position, and abutmentsextending outwardly from the intermediate portions of said legs andengageable with the inner surface of said panel member to preventexcessive outward bending of said legs upon the application of anoutwardly directed force to said lock cylinder.

2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1 wherein said abutmentscomprise flanges extending perpendicularly from the outside edges of theintermediate portions of said legs.

3. A lock structure comprising in combination a lock cylinder having abody portion insertable through an opening in apanel member and a flangeon said body portion engageable withthe outer surface of said panelmember for locating the lock cylinder thereon, the said body portionhaving slots in its opposite sides Whose infier'edges face said flangeand are spaced therefrom a distance greater than the thiekness ofsai'd'p'anel member; a resilient retaining clipi-fo'r securing" saidlock cylinder tosaid panel member comprising. a transverse connectingportionhavin-g spaced'legs extending. therefrom which are insertable'through said slots and engageable with the innei surface ofsaid panelmember at opposite sides of said lock cylinder, the intermediateportions of said legs being bowed inwardly and adapted to press againstthe said inner edges of the sldtswhereby force is exerted in wardly onsaid lock cylinder to retain it: in proper position; a flange extendingoutwardly from the intermediate bowedportion of eachzle'g; said flangesbeing engageable Withthe inner surfaceof said panel member to limitoutwardbending ofsa'id leg's' upon the'application'of an outwardlydirected force to said lock cylinder, a projection extendingfro-mthebottom of each ofsaid slots, the inner edges of the intermediatebowedportions of said legs havingnotches therein forreceiving'saidprojections to there by locksaid retaining clip t'o'said lock cylinderin aposition wherein said flanges are located substantially centrally ofsaid body portion.

, .4: A resilientyretaining clipfo'r securinga locx cylinder to a panelmember, said lock cylinder having a body portion insertable throughanopening in said panel member anda flange on'said body portionengageable. with the. outer surface.- of' said panel member'for locatingthe lock 'cylinderthereon, the-said body portion having slots in itsopposite sides whose inner edges face said flange and are spacedtherefrom adistanc'e greater than the thickness of said panel member;said clip comprising a transverse connecting portion having spacedparallel legs extending therefronrwhich are insertable through saidslots and engageable with the inner surface of said panel member atopposite sides of; said l'o'ck cylinder, the intermediate, portions ofsaid legs being bowed inwardly and adapted topress against said inneredges of the slots whereby force is exertediinwardly on said lockcylinder to retain it in proper position, a flange extendingperpendicularly from the outside edgeof the intermediate portionof eachof saidlegs, said flanges being engageable with; the inner surfaceofsaid panel member to limit out- Wfardbending of said legs upon theapplication of an outwardly directed force to said lock; cylinder, and astop finger extending from said connecting portion between said legs andengageable with said body portion to locate the retaining'clip in aposition wherein said flanges are disposed substantially centrally ofsaid body portion.

H 5. A lock stfucture including in combination a lock cylinder having abodyportion insertable through an opening-in apanel member and a flangeon said body portion engageable with the outer surface of said panelmember; for locating the lock cylinder thereon, the saidbodyportion'having slots in its opposite sides whose inner edges facesaid flange and are spaced therefrom a distance greater than thethickness of said panel memher, a resilientU-shaped retaining clip forsecuring said lock cylinder to said panel member comprising a transverseconnecting portion having spaced parallel legs extending therefrom whichare insertable through said slots and engageable with the inner surfaceof said panel member at opposite sides of said lock cylinder, portionsof said legs being bowed inwardly and adapted to press against the saidinner edges of the slots whereby force is exerted inwardly onsaidlock'cylinder to retain it in proper position, the inside edges.ofthe intermediate portions of said legs having notchestherein;projections in said slots receivable in said notches for locking saidclip to the lock cylinder, said legs-being longer than the diameter ofsaid body poftion to allow them to flex laterally when passed over saidprojections} and a stop finger extending from said connecting portionand engageable with the lock' cylinder for locating the retaining clipin a position wherein said notches are in alignment with saidprojections.

6. A lock structure comprising in combination a lock cylinder having abody portion insertable through an opening in-a panel member and aflange on said body portion engageable with .theouter surface of saidpanel member for locating the lock cylinder; thereon, the said bodyportion having slots in'itsopposite sides whose inner edges face saidflange and are spaced therefrom a distance greater than thethickness ofsaid panel member, .a resilient U-shaped retaining clip vfor securingthe lock cylinder to said panel member comprising a transverseconnecting portion having spaced parallel legs extending therefrom whichare insertable through said slots and engageable with tlie inner surfaceof said panel member at opposite sides of said lock cylinder, theintermediate portions of said legs being bowed inwardly adapted to pressagainst the said inner edges of the slots whereby force is exertedinwardly on said lock cylinder .to. retain it in proper position, aflange extendingoutwardly from the outside edge of theintermediateportion. of. eachle-g, said flanges being engageable withthe inner surface of said panel member to limit outward bending. of saidlegs upon the application of an outwardly directed force to said lockcylindena radial projection extending from the bottom of each of saidslots, the inside edgesof the inter mediate portions of said legs havingnotches therein for receiving said projections to thereby lock saidretaining clip to said lock cylinder, said legs being longer than thediameter of said body' portion to permit them to flex laterally as theyare forced over said projections, and a stop finger extending from saidconnecting portion and engageable with saidfloci cylinder to locatesaidclip in a position wherein said notches are in alignment with saidprojections.

neferences' cites in the the ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

